waterfalls, the jungle, the nature, the beaches are out of this world.

I think number one thing I love about Venezuela is the culture. The people are incredible.

Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast with me, Simon Calder. It's Wednesday

the 4th of June. And that was the voice of Christine Shacklady, who is the managing director

of the trip group, travel risk and incident prevention. I've been speaking to Christine about

her recommendations ahead of the main summer peak in terms of staying safe and well.

But it was one of those interviews where, well, goodness, it took off in a completely different direction.

First piece of advice going travelling for me would be research.

I think it's really important to know exactly where you're going and just everything about where you're going

in terms of, for example, I went recently to Cape Verde, went to a fabulous location, but I felt

like I was the only one on the beach that realized that you couldn't swim in the water. Do you

know what I mean? Because I'd done my research, whereas so many people hadn't.

I'm fascinated. Where do you start doing your research? I mean, do you go to the foreign office advice? You read guidebooks. Do you talk to people? What's your recipe? There's lots of places to go to. I always go to a foreign office, if I'm totally honest with you. That's where I go. But guide books, I read guide books just because I like to read on the plane.

So I've normally bought, I'm a good old-fashioned girl and I like to read the guide books, yeah. But then, well, the unexpected can happen when you're abroad. Well, for me personally, if I'm going abroad, I'll always take everything for health. So health for me is the most important.

I'll always have antihistamine.

I'll always have something for your tummy.

I'll always have antihistamine. I'll always have

something for your tummy. I'll always have dioralite. I have a little first aid kit and I take it

everywhere and I can honestly say I've used it every time I've ever travelled at least one item

from that kit. So very, very useful, especially if you're travelling with children.

Any particular recommendations on one where one should pick one up from, or do you make your

own? I personally make my own based on my own criteria, but yes, you can pick them up in boots,

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